Star Craft: Agony
by Saiyan Pride
Summary: An experience of a Terran Marine


Star Craft: Agony  
  
  
My first day as a combat marine and I already hate it. Probably if they didn't give us shots to fight anxiety   
and turbulence I'd spill my guts. The suit is firmly strapped and still I get violent shakes, Ikes said that's   
routine for a recruit. The dropship feels like its leaping down not falling. Every few seconds a hard upward   
jerk is felt, as though we are bouncing down through the atmosphere. Its all just my imagination.  
  
I closed my eyes firmly for a moment to refocus my vision. It was hard to see who was where, I was not   
used to the drops at all, it took its toll on me. As I struggled sitting firmly strapped in my suit I knew they   
were all smiling at me. For them it was like riding a bike down a rocky path, just go with the flow. I heard   
buzzing sound and raised my eyes. Yellow light bulb started flashing on the wall opposite of me. I saw   
Locke smile at me, he certainly saw a relief of my face. I love yellow light, it means we have broken   
through the upper atmosphere and now the rest of the ride isn't going to be so rough. But of course the ride   
down is not a fraction as rough as the combat, I still have to find out about that for myself. My first drop, I   
feel sick. Most likely I will pass out during the combat. 75% of recruits never live through first combat   
experience. Sucks to be me. Well that number is going down a bit, because of a new strategy. It is simply   
called Buddy Up. Marines are divided in groups of 8 or 12, and simply go everywhere together. In a patrol,   
in a banker, and even in the barracks you're with you buddies. I understand the idea of the system. The   
more people stay together the more familiar they become with one another. In combat, experienced marines   
fight with out even talking or giving a lot of orders. Everyone knows exactly what his task is, and my task   
right now is to Watch and Learn.  
  
The violence shaking almost stopped now, we zoomed through the inner atmosphere. I have a feeling of   
relief going through me. Ikes turned his head a bit to me, "That was nothing, the best is yet to come,   
newbie". Few men gave a short laugh, I didn't know what I was going into, most likely I was gonna die. I   
don't know how they could laugh, Ikes simply gave me a brief grin. The green light started flashing. I took   
a long breath. Dropship's vertical thrusters went off giving us once hard upward shake. I didn't mind that,   
because we were about to land.  
  
  
I felt better, the automatic doors in the back of the dropship started opening up. Bright light sipped into the dim ship. Sounds of the Terran base snicked in. I heard the straps unlock and felt my suit breaking free. I noticed how my arms and legs ached, after 6 minutes of free fall strapped to the seat. I sat closest to the cockpit, that means I'll be the last one out of the ship. Nobody sends Recruits out first, not even onto a base. I looked at the green bulb, it was off. Nobody said a word and was already standing up getting ready to fall out. Ikes hit my sholder " Hey we're here". I looked up at him, he was grining at me. I wonder why he always found me funny, may be because he wasn't the last recruit in our platoon anymore. Whatever it was I am glad he was happy. Its better to fight side by side with a person who at least likes you a little.   
  
Everyone was already up, Captain Wallek was already out. I barely could see his dark green suit. " Hell's Scar, Move out!!" Captain yelled. 11 marines started moving out the dropship. I was the last, Ikes was infront of me following Locke. The bright light blinded my naked eyes. "Lance! Use your tan glassed goggles" I heard Locke say into my com (com= comunication/radio). I hit a button on my belt with my free left hand. Whirling sound came from behind my head and goggles moved over my head placing themselves on my eyes. I heard Locke chuckling a bit into the com, "The planet has thin atomosphere and almost no ozone layer. The sun could blind you if you look directly at it". I sighed mentally, the breifing is said to myself. I can't let my mind wonder off, the ethics of warfare came back to my head. Its my favorite class in the academy. Atleast I still remember how to fire the rifle.   
  
We filed out into a straight like outside the ship. The sounds of the base filled my ears, I couldn't help but turn my head looking at other marines, shuttles. "Attention!" Captain barked. We all straightened out infront of him. Captain is a good man, he even lets us call him Jerry sometimes, well not recruits like me of course. I had to earn that privilage. Everyone stood motionless in single file. Captain looked at everyone of us, I didn't like the look he gave me. He looked at me like I was going to die. "At ease men" Captain said quietly to us. I relaxed moving my hands a little, they still ached. The busy life of the base was all around us. I raised my eyes looking at our location. We were surrouned by mountains, can't tell for sure but it seems like they make up a circle. We were inside an arc of mountain range, I tanned goggle became darker as I raised my head higher. Even with goggles the sun was bright, Locke was right I'd be blinded.   
  
The Dropship's thrusters started up again, they send sand in all directions. It slowly hovered higher and higher, I could feel the force of the thrust that was getting it up into the air. I saw 3 figures joging in our direction. Three men in space suits approached us, looking over at the ship departing. "Captain Wallek" one of the men aproaching us said. Captain looked at three men and started walking towards them. "Hell's Scar reporting." He said to a man who called him. As the sand and dust settled around us captain and he shook hands. The man smiled at the Captain. At that moment I saw the man's face. Didn't take a geniouse to figure out a face of a marine, scared and battered. The man had no eye. He was shaking Captain's hand smiling at him. "Welcome to the Arc, Jerry"  
  
To be continued...  



End file.
